THE GOVERNOR'S POLITICAL PAYBACK TO UNIONS

The march toward the unionization of government employees proceeds. Missouri's contribution to this movement involves a policy put in place to supply labor unions with the names and home addresses of state workers, among other information. While this is hardly sensational in itself, since the information is generally available for those who care to look, what it represents is extraordinary and highly political. Gov. Mel Carnahan's administration is saying that Missouri government will meet unions halfway or further in attempts to organize state employees. We don't believe this is a view most Missourians favor.

State employees received with their June paychecks a notice from the Office of Administration that names and other worker information would be made available to unions beginning in September. The notices gave employees an option of withholding home addresses, but the other information would be readily supplied. Information concerning this policy actually began making the rounds last year and was circulated in draft form in January. The provision of names and addresses is just one of the policy changes effected; others include allowing unions greater access to employees at work sites and accepting greater union representation at worker grievance and disciplinary proceedings.

Again, the names and addresses (as well as salaries) of Missouri employees can be found in the widely distributed State Manual, but what the policy changes represent is governmental acquiescence -- indeed, encouragement -- to labor unions in their mission to organize more state workers. Hardly coincidental is the fact Gov. Carnahan rode into office with a strong labor backing and has been forthcoming with the view that public school teachers should have collective bargaining authority in Missouri. (Is this position shared by most of his constituents? We doubt it.)

Mr. Carnahan's immediate predecessors -- Christopher Bond, then John Ashcroft -- promised vetoes on legislation that would allow collective bargaining for state employees. With Mr. Carnahan as Governor, labor officials feel they have a chance to make this major inroad. The notice of the changed policy also served notice that this administration pays political debts, whether the interests of the citizens of Missouri are best served or not.

Under Missouri law, once the state Board of Mediation recognizes a union as the duly approved representative of an employee group, management is required to "meet and confer" with the union. Absent collective bargaining, the unions lack status in doing more than that. Work stoppages, such as strikes, are illegal in such cases, although unions want that authority when it comes to state employees. It is a dramatic step, and we see this as a legislative prerogative.

If the governor and labor want unionization of state employees, pursue it through the General Assembly. At that point (and not in the chipping away done by policy directives), the real beliefs of the Missouri people might come to light.

We recognize the right of unions to organize workers and the right of Missouri's working people to seek union representation if that is their desire. Our argument doesn't speak to that. Instead, we see the administration of this governor, and by extension the agencies of the executive branch, giving unions unprecedented entree to individuals hired to serve the will of the people of Missouri. If unionization of state employees is what the majority of Missourians want, we believe it would have happened before now. In this governor, unions have found someone willing to set aside popular will for the sake of political reciprocation.